This invention relates to a kit for whitening a user""s teeth, as well as a method for utilizing such a dental whitening kit.
Cosmetic dental whitening is becoming increasingly popular. Traditionally, most whitening of the teeth has been performed at the dentist""s office. Initially, an impression is made of the patient""s teeth and a laboratory quality gel tray is manufactured from that impression. This procedure is fairly labor and time intensive. First the dentist must take the impression. Next, the tray must be manufactured by a technique such as vacuuforming. The patient then returns to the dentist""s office to determine if the tray fits properly. Only then can the actual whitening procedure commence. Professional dental whitening is typically quite expensive for the patient. Costs often range between $300-$650. The process is also time consuming for the dentist and his or her staff. Expensive equipment normally must be purchased to manufacture the gel trays.
Recently, inexpensive xe2x80x9cat homexe2x80x9d dental whitening kits have become available. These products usually comprise a bulky mouthpiece which resembles a sports mouth guard. The user purchases a generic xe2x80x9cone size fits allxe2x80x9d mouthpiece and applies a conventional whitening gel to the mouthpiece. The user then inserts the mouthpiece into his or her mouth and bites down on the mouthpiece so that the whitening process can take place. Although this procedure is much less expensive than professional whitening, it presents a number of difficulties. Because the mouthpiece is not custom fit for the individual user, it is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a tight, secure fit between the mouthpiece and the user""s teeth. This prevents the whitening gel from performing in a optimal manner. Unsatisfactory or incomplete whitening frequently results. Moreover, standard off-the-shelf whitening trays are quite bulky, unattractive, and uncomfortable for the user to wear. It is also difficult for the user to speak clearly while wearing such mouthpieces. As a result, the user is less apt to wear the dental tray for a required duration and is, therefore, less likely to achieve satisfactorily whitened teeth.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved dental whitening kit that enables the user to obtain whitened teeth in a manner comparable to professionally whitened teeth but much more conveniently and at a far less expense.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that eliminates the time and expense required when visiting a dentist to have teeth professionally whitened.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that significantly reduces the time, equipment and labor currently required for a dentist and his staff to perform dental whitening.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that employs a lightweight, attractive and comfortable to wear tray that is much more convenient for a person to use than conventional off-the-shelf products.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that permits the user to effectively whiten his or her teeth using a custom fitted tray that is virtually as effective as the trays currently manufactured by dental professionals.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a process for allowing a user to perform dental whitening in a quick, simple, convenient and yet highly effective manner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that is comfortable to wear and virtually invisible and which does not interfere with the user""s speech.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that is much more convenient and comfortable to use than conventional off-the-shelf whitening kits and which therefore encourages more prolonged use and provides for significantly improved teeth whitening results.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that exhibits a fit that is significantly improved over the fit provided by conventional off-the-shelf dental whitening trays and which therefore provides much improved dental whitening results.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental whitening kit that may be marketed effectively through dental offices as a low cost, effective and preferable alternative to conventional over-the-counter dental whitening kits.
This invention results from a realization that a convenient, effective and low cost dental whitening tray may be manufactured by employing a thin sheet of heat and pressure deformable plastic in conjunction with a mouthpiece in which the sheet is held to form a dental impression in the sheet.
This invention features a dental whitening kit for applying a tooth whitening composition to a user""s teeth. The kit includes a mouthpiece having a cavity for receiving the user""s teeth. There is a separate and distinct thin sheet composed of a heat and pressure deformable plastic. The sheet is heated to a temperature and for a duration such that the sheet is sufficiently pliable to form a dental impression therein. The sheet is disposed over the cavity of the mouthpiece such that the user bites into the sheet and the cavity to form a tray having an impression of the user""s teeth. The mouthpiece and the tray are disengaged from the teeth. The tray is then separated from the cavity of the mouthpiece and receives the tooth whitening composition. The user re-engages the tray with the user""s teeth to apply the whitening composition to the teeth.
In a preferred embodiment, the mouthpiece comprises an alginate tray. The cavity may contain a putty for forming a dental impression. The putty may include silicone compression putty. Preferably, the mouthpiece is thick and rigid relative to the sheet. The sheet is preferably about 0.03xe2x80x3 thick. The tray may be trimable to generally fit the user""s gumline.
This invention also features a process for whitening a person""s teeth. A dental mouthpiece having a cavity for receiving the person""s teeth is provided. A thin sheet of heat and pressure deformable plastic is also provided. The sheet is heated to a temperature and for a duration such that the sheet is sufficiently pliable to form a dental impression therein. The sheet is engaged with the mouthpiece such that the sheet is disposed over the cavity of the mouthpiece. The sheet and the cavity are bit into with sufficient pressure and for sufficient duration such that a dental impression is formed in the sheet and sheet thereby defines a dental tray. The tray is then released from the cavity of the mouthpiece. A whitening composition is introduced into the tray. The tray is reapplied to the teeth that formed the dental impression such that the whitening composition acts to whiten the teeth.
In a preferred embodiment, the foregoing process includes the step of trimming plastic from the tray before the tray is reapplied to the teeth. This is performed to generally fit the tray to the person""s gumline. A dental impression forming substance may be introduced into the cavity before the sheet is engaged with the mouthpiece. The dental impression forming substance again may include silicone compression putty.
The sheet may be heated by immersing the sheet in water in excess of 200xc2x0 F. Typically, the water is heated to temperature of at least 212xc2x0 for a duration of 10 seconds.
As an alternative to an alginate or otherwise rigid tray, the mouthpiece may include a heat and pressure deformable plastic. The plastic mouthpiece may be heated into a condition that is sufficiently pliable to form a dental impression therein before the sheet and the cavity are bitten into. The process may further include the step of biting into the cavity of the mouthpiece and forming a dental impression therein before the sheet is engaged with the mouthpiece. The process may also include the step of manually pressing the tray and mouthpiece against the teeth and gums while biting into the tray and cavity.
The invention also features a process wherein both the mouthpiece and the plastic sheet are heated and an impression is formed first in the mouthpiece alone by biting into the cavity of the mouthpiece. The heated plastic sheet is then placed over the cavity and the user bites into the sheet and the cavity in which an impression has already been made. After a predetermined duration, the bite is released and the sheet is removed from the cavity and utilized with whitening composition as previously described.